How To for Florida's Outdoors

New to Florida? New to the outdoors? Here's where we fill you in on what's unique about outdoor recreation in Florida and what you should know when you're planning your own outdoor adventures: tutorials, tips, and checklists to assist you in getting outdoors in Florida.

With backpacking, there are needs, and there are wants. Most of the wants speak to concerns about safety (“just in case” items) and comfort (“I’ll sleep better if” items). The difference between them adds to the load on your back. For a short trip – a week or less – this extra weight isn’t as […]

For birders, a hike down a Florida trail means an ever-unfolding adventure of discovery. Positioned as we are along major annual migratory routes, Florida offers thousands of places for sightings of both common and offbeat species.

Bear bagging is the art of hanging your food properly out of reach of bears. If you’re a Florida backpacker and haven’t learned how, here’s a short course. Securing your food from bears is required in the Ocala, Osceola, and Apalachicola National Forests.

Basic wayfinding – understanding where the sun is, looking at landscape, picking out landmarks as you hike – comes as second nature to some people. It’s an important skill that all hikers should cultivate.